Method and means for forming tooth crowns



Jan. l0,` 1933. F. o. JAQUEs 1,893,520

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING TOOTH CROWNS Filed Sept. 26, 1930 Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED vs'rn'rlazs PATENr ermee FERNANDO O. JAQUES, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND METHOD AND MEANS FOR FORMING TOOTH CROWNS Application led September 26, 1930. Serial N'o. 484,575.

correspond approximately with the gum lines of the teeth to be crowned, thereby enabling the operative to quickly and easily indicate the' shape and position of the gum line upon the crown, whereby the operation of trimming the open end of the crown is facilitated and a more accurate fitting of the crown edge to the tooth adjacent to the gum line obtained. r

Onevobject of the present invention is to provide an improved method of operation wherein tooth crowns may be readily and easily formed and shaped to fit the teeth without the necessity for frequent tests to ascertain the proper location and contour of the gum line.

Another' object of the invention is to provide improved means for indicating definitely the approximate position of the gum line upon a tooth crown and thus permit the crown to be trimmed quickly to fit the tooth to be crowned.

Other objects and advantages of the inven* tion r-elate to various improved details of constructionand novel methods of operation as will be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cupshaped member which is preferably formed from a thin metal disk through a series of drawing operations, as is well known in the art.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of metal male and female die members illustrating the position of these parts in shaping a cupshaped metal member to give the same the external configuration of the tooth crown,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a male die member when used in conjunction with a wooden core or matrix for forming a cupshaped member rinto the desired shape for making a tooth crown.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a contoured sleeve adapted for use in indicating the gum line. upon a tooth crown,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the position of the contoured sleeve relative to a tooth crown, such as may be formed by the methods illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, for indicating upon the crown the proper positi on of the gum line,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the tooth crown after the lower portion thereof has been trimmed away to form'the gum line, 60

and,

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the crown shown in Fig. 6 after the open endl thereof has been drawn or tapered to properly fit the tooth.

Heretofore all ready made tooth crowns are formed with the open ends thereof cut` off squarely at right angles with the major. axisof the tooth, and the crowns are then trimmed or lcut away little by little after repeated comparisons with the tooth to form a contoured edge fitting thegum line of the tooth. This is a very slow and painstaking operation-requiring a great deal of time, and careful work on the part ofthe dentist or operative. In the method of forming tooth crowns with which they present invention finds one of its important applications the dentist isprovided with a-plurality of tooth forming dies shaped to conform approximately with thevarious teeth which are most commonly found in practice, so that the dentist can select from this assortment a die approximating in shape and size practically any tooth which he may be called upon to crown. Under the practice set forth in' the present disclosure such a set of'tooth forming dies will be supplemented with a corresponding set of contoured sleeves for use with such dies in` locating and marking upon a tooth crown thus formed the approximate position and shape of the gum line. The present invention is adapted therefore to be employed in connection with and form an improvement upon my former U. S. patents, Nos. 971,274 and 1,059,300 in that it is designed to supplement the practice as set forth in those disclosures to the extent of greatly facilitating the completion of. a tooth crown formed by the methods shown in those patents. While the presentinvention is adapted for use with and constitutes an improvement upon the disclosures of the above mentioned patents, it is also adapted for use in connection with tooth crowns shaped by any other suitable or desired means.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith 1 designates a cup-shaped member of thin metal such as gold or the like, which may be formed from a thin metal disk by subjecting the same to a series of drawing operations as is well known in the art. The cup-shaped member 1 is of generally cylindrical form and provided with an open end 2 and a closed-end 3. l v

The cup-shaped member 1 may be shaped to form a metal tooth crown by means of metal male and female die members 4 and 5 asr shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, wherein the cup-shaped member is shaped to give the same an external configuration which is substantially that of the original tooth.

As an alternative method of shapingthe cup-shaped member to form a tooth crown the metal die member 4 may be forced into a wooden block 6 contained in a metal holder 7, and then the cup-shaped member 1 may be placed upon the metal former or die member 4 and forced into the cavity previously formed in the wooden matrix, thus shaping the cup-shaped member to conform with the external configuration of the desired crown. If desired, any other suitable matrix material may be employed in place of the wooden block 6, provided that the material employed offers suiicient resistance to force the metal of the cup-shaped member to conform accurate-ly with the external surface of the male die member 4 which has been previously shaped to correspond approximately with the external configuration of the natural tooth.

The open end of the recess formed in the female die member 5 or wooden block 6 may have its edge tapered slightly as indicated at 5 to facilitate the entry of the cup-shaped member 1 therein at the commencement of the shaping operation.

The tooth crown 8 as formed by either of the methods just described has a closed end 9 which in the present instance is provided with an occlusal surface 10, and the side wall of the cup-shaped member is shaped to form a labial surface 11, a lingual surface 12, and distal and mesial surfaces 13 and 14.

A contoured sleeve 16 having theA end 17 shaped to conform approximately with the gum line of the tooth to be crowned, and having sides 1S, 19, 2O and 21 shaped to conform substantially with the labial, lingual,

- distal and mesial surfaces respectively of the tooth crown, is placed over the crown 8 and adjustably positioned relative thereto in such a manner that the contoured end 17 will meet the exterior surface of the tooth crown along a line which coincides approximately with the gingival line of the tooth to be crowned.

A sharp scribing tool 23 may then be drawn around the contoured edge of the sleeve or gum line template 16 to form a sharply defined guide line 24 upon the exterior surface of the crown 8.

After the crown 8 has been shaped and the position of the gum line indicated thereon as previously described, the operative will cut away that portion of the crown located between the open end of the crown and the indicating line 24 to form the crown into the shape shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

In adjustably positioning the sleeve 16 upon the tooth crown for marking thereon the approximate position of the gum line, as shown in Fig. 5, the relative position of the square cut ends of the crown andV sleeve are disregarded and the sleeve Ais adjusted upon the crown to bring the contoured end 17 of the sleeve into such position relative to the closed end of the crownthat when the crown is cut away along the line indicated by the position of the contoured edge 17 thereon the'length of the crown will be such as to bring the contoured edge Vthereof into position tocorrespond substantially with the gum line of the tooth.

The several side surfaces of the crown may then be drawn inwardly or tapered to finally shape the crown as shown in Fig. 7 wherein the open end is tapered sufficiently to fit closely about the tooth to be crowned.

Vhile the present invention has been illustrated in connection with the formation of a crown for a molar, the process 0f forming tooth crowns as shown herein is equally applicable to the formation of incisors, cuspids and bicuspids.

lVhat I claim is 1. The method of making crowns for teeth which comprises, forming a metal cup, shaping said cup to impart thereto the external configuration of a tooth crown, marking the outer surface of Vsaid crown by means of a. gum line template to indicate the gum line of the teeth, and trimming away the open end of said crown to form a contoured! edge corresponding with the gum line of the tooth to be crowned.

2. The method of making crowns for teeth which comprises, drawing a metal disk to form a cup-shaped member, shaping said member to impart thereto the external coniiguration of a tooth, indicating the location of the gum line upon the tooth crown by means of a gum line template, marking the outer surface of the crown to indicate thereon the position of the gum line, and trimming away the openV end of said crown to form a contoured free edge corresponding with the gum line of the tooth.

3. In a method of forming tooth crowns, marking the exterior surface of said crown to indicate the position and shape of the gum line of the tooth to be-crowned in conformity with the contoured edge of an adjustable former.

4. Means for indicating the position of the gum line of a tooth upon the outer surface of a tooth crown comprising a sleeve having one end thereof shaped to correspond substantially with the gum line of a tooth.

5. Mea-ns for indicating the position of the gum line of a tooth upon the outer surface of a tooth crown comprising, a sleeve member the internal diameter of which is slightly greater than the external diameter of said crown and having one end thereof shaped to correspond substantially with the gum line of the tooth to be crowned whereby the said sleeve may be adj ustably positioned upon the crown to indicate thereon the gum line of the tooth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed niy signature.

FERNANDO O. JAQUES. 

